Covering topics on religion, philosophy and life, this blog attempts to make biblical truths simple for the average believer. As porridge is soft to aid digestion, so the blog contents are easily understood.
However, there is also meaty stuff for those who aspire to go deeper. The relevance of the Bible in our daily life (areas such as finances, sex, marriage, health and emotional healing) is also dealt with.

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Saturday, 21 November 2015

In some churches, believers are constantly reminded to tithe. Many churches include tithing as an important doctrine in its pulpit ministry.

The principle of tithing has its roots in the Old Testament (OT) and scholars differ in their opinion as to whether it is relevant for believers today. The tithe is a tenth of the produce of the earth (crops or animals) set apart to meet the needs of the Levites (who had no land) and the poor. The paying of tithe was an important part of the Jewish religious worship under the Mosaic Law in the Old Covenant (Leviticus 27:30-32). However, today, the word ‘tithe’ is often used to denote a tenth of our gross income consecrated to God for special purposes.

If tithing is relevant for believers today, why is the New Testament’s apostolic teachings SILENT about the amount we should set aside when giving to God’s work?

If tithing, an OT concept, is given prominence in today’s churches, why are other OT practices—such as circumcision—not given the same emphasis?

Let us now briefly examine some references from the New Testament (NT) on tithing:

Abraham tithed to Melchizedek, a priest, 400 years before the Law came into being (Hebrews 7:2). The latter is a type of Christ. So, as some argue, we should tithe even as Abraham did. However, when Jesus—the eternal High Priest—came, He established a new covenant and made the old one obsolete (Hebrews 8:7, 13).

Abraham gave to Melchizedek out of gratitude to God, not under compulsion to obey a written commandment in stone. In this, Abraham becomes our New Testament example for motivation in giving. Furthermore, he gave only once; no evidence that it was repeated regularly. Notice also that he did not give from what he produced (like crops or animals) but what he looted from his enemies. Do believers have to follow his example of looting before we give to God? And there is no record that Isaac, his son, gave tithes.

In Matthew 23:23, Jesus condemned the Pharisees for they were tithing to the penny but neglecting more important issues such as justice, mercy and faith. Jesus was then addressing teachers of the law who taught about tithing. For the early Jewish believers, tithing was a lifestyle since they were under the law. But is tithing a requirement for us who are Gentile believers today?

The decision reached by the early church at the Jerusalem conference was that the Gentile believers should not be unnecessarily burdened except that they should “abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality” (Acts 15: 28-29).

Furthermore, Paul stressed that Christ has set us free from legalism. And we are to stand fast on this bedrock truth of our Christian liberty. This does not mean that we free to break the Ten Commandments (1 Corinthians 6:9-10) but that the Jewish laws, including the need for circumcision, no longer apply to Gentile believers. If circumcision is no longer relevant, then why should other OT laws—such as tithing—still apply to believers today (Galatians 5: 1-2)?

Let us now explore other models of ministry support:

Why do churches promote tithing and pledges among believers when George Mueller funded so many orphanages by praying to God alone, without directly asking from men?

And Nehemiah completed what God called him to do just by praying to God. We talk so much about having faith in God but where the rubber hits the road, we are not putting our money where our mouth is.

The apostle Paul epitomised the self-sustaining, tent-making model of ministry—as opposed to depending on donor support. He did not make use of his right to make a living out of preaching the gospel, though it was legitimate to do so.

Why is the apostle Paul silent on tithing if it is such an important doctrine for the church to follow?

Though we are told to give generously and cheerfully, there is no mention about the percentage or amount we should give in the teachings of the apostle Paul:

“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

(2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

It is clear from Paul’s teachings that generosity and cheerful giving are to be encouraged. Giving is voluntary, without any compulsion, in response to God’s love for us.But it seems that, in some churches, believers are cajoled to give—constantly bombarded with the “GIVE, GIVE, GIVE” message. The incentive that accompanies such repeated calls to give is this: “God is going to bless us bountifully when we give.” Though we do reap when we sow towards God’s work, unscrupulous people can abuse this truth for their selfish ends.

If leaders place inordinate emphasis on tithing and giving (and they usually package this call with the “sweetener”—so that God will open the windows of heaven and pour down unimaginable blessings on you), it may demonstrate a lack of faith on the part of the former.

Leaders often preach on the importance of having faith. But do they put their money where their mouth is? Do they show through actions, and not just words, that they believe in what they are preaching?

After all their preaching on Philippians 4:19, do they really trust God, the One who supplies all their needs?

If members have truly been ministered to, and leaders believe in a providential God who knows all our needs, will He not move people to spontaneously give to the church or ministry—without the need for frequent appeals for money, verbally or through pledges?

One of the dangers about overemphasisingtithing and giving is the potential for church funds to be abused once it reaches mega proportions. The principle of ‘seed faith’—the more you sow, the more you will reap—can be abused and hijacked by ‘prosperity gospel’ teachersfor their own selfish ends. The mantra of these false teachers goes something like this: “The more you give, the more blessings you will get.” But they will never reveal who ultimately gets to enjoy the mega share of the blessings. Some are so blessed that they fly around in private jets and live in mansions filled with unimaginable luxury and opulence, a lifestyle akin to that of film stars and pop stars.

When tithing and giving are overemphasised—and transparency and accountability lacking—financial scandals may result. This has already happened in megachurches where massive funds from church coffers have been diverted towards fulfilling questionable goals and personal ambition. These fallen leaders initially start out with good intentions. But, along the way, as power, fame and money increase, their heavenly focus steadily diminishes and they get sidetracked from their noble pursuits. Such leaders, who are often hero-worshipped and surrounded by an elite ‘inner circle’, are then tempted to dip into the church funds and whitewash their acts through sham bond investments and “round-tripping” transactions.

The sale of promotional materials such as books, CDs and DVDs is another area which has to be considered. While there is nothing intrinsically wrong with such practices, there is no need to use high pressure sales techniques to get members to purchase them. We should not turn a house of prayer into a place to do business. If a minister is truly worth his salt, people will be queuing up at the end of the service to purchase these materials without the need for much cajoling.

Tithing illustrates the fact that when a doctrine is constantly being preached over the pulpit, gradually it gets assimilated into our mindset and becomes entrenched as truth—even when scriptural support for it may be vague or flimsy.

That said, it does not mean that we should be less than generous when giving to the Kingdom. Jesus commended the widow who gave whatever little she had (Luke 21:1-4). Paul commended the Macedonian church for their sacrificial generosity (2 Corinthians 8:1-3).

Indeed, when it comes to giving, generosity should be the principle that should guide believers today—and often that means much more than 10 % of our income.

“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back” (Luke 6:38).

After all, all we have come from God and we only give away what is, in fact, His.

To reiterate, tithing cannot be the New Testament standard for giving simply because we are now under grace. We are supposed to cheerful and generous when we give. And how can we be cheerful if we give under compulsion in order to meet a certain quantum?

To the poor, who can barely survive, the tithe may be too burdensome. To the rich, however, the tithe may be too paltry to be deemed as generous. So why set rules? Christ has set us free. Why let legalism shackle our Christian liberty (Galatians 5:1)?

Furthermore, some may think they have already discharged their responsibility towards God by tithing so they can spend the rest of their income any way they like. Truth be told, we are to be accountable to God for all the resources given to us, not just a tenth of it.

Unfortunately, when it comes to giving, our mindset has largely been shaped by this passage in the OT: “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need” (Malachi 3:10).

However, when modern day believers look for guidance on the subject of giving, we cannot allow this Malachi passage to overshadow Paul’s teachings on giving (2 Corinthians 9:6-8). The former seems to be more relevant for a group of people living in a bygone era. The New Covenant must definitely supersede the Old Covenant in all matters of doctrine and conduct (Hebrews 8:13) whenever there is any theological dispute or controversy.

And, specifically, it is the apostle’s teaching (Acts 2:42) to which we must pay special attention—for the church is built on the foundation of the apostles (Ephesians 2:20). What does the apostle’s teaching say about tithing? Nothing. In contrast, what does the apostle’s teaching say about giving? A lot. The guidelines on how believers should give are spelled out in 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9.

If tithing is an important principle for the modern day believers, the apostle’s teaching would definitely have revealed it to us, not once but repeatedly. For example, warnings against sexual immorality and false teaching are emphasised on many occasions. We may reasonably conclude that since tithing is not mentioned even once by the apostles, it is an unimportant principle for believers today. Why then do some leaders continue to harp on tithing so earnestly?

POSTSCRIPT

The purpose of this article is neither to stir up controversy nor to discourage believers from giving to the local church or any ministry.

Firstly, this article illustrates the fact that a doctrine can be widely accepted even if there is no firm theological basis for it.

Secondly, it is to warn believers that there are leaders who misuse this Old Testament concept of tithing (Malachi 3:9-10) to convince believers to give—whether out of guilt (robbing God if we don’t) or reward (God will open the windows of heaven to bless those who give).

The New Testament stance for giving does not set any percentage or amount. We are to give regularly, cheerfully, generously, according to our ability, out of gratitude for what Christ has done for us. Though he who sows abundantly will also reap bountifully, rewards or blessings should not be the primary motivating factor in our giving.

VARIOUS MODELS OF MINISTRY SUPPORT

GEORGE MUELLER’S APPROACH

He had child-like faith, trusting that God will supply (Philippians 4:19). Through earnest prayers, he received millions to build orphanages, never asking anyone directly for money. He merely trusted God to put in people's hearts to send him what he needed. He never borrowed. Yet neither he nor the orphans were ever hungry.

NEHEMIAH’S EXAMPLE

When Nehemiah heard that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down, a burden arose in his heart. He mourned, fasted and prayed, imploring God to grant him success as he considered embarking on a mission of reconstruction in his fractured homeland. But who would think that an insignificant cupbearer, exiled in a foreign land, could accomplish such a massive project?

Without even mentioning his needs to anyone (Nehemiah 2: 12), Nehemiah’s burden moved the king he was serving to grant him special favours. He gained special permission to pass through foreign territories on his long overland journey from Persia to Judah. Furthermore, he was supplied with timber from the keeper of the king’s forest. Surely the king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will (Proverbs 21:1). This was certainly a fulfillment of this adage: “When God calls, He provides.”

PAUL’S TENTMAKING MODEL

As a tentmaker, the apostle Paul supported himself while he preached the gospel. He did not make use of his right to make a living out of preaching the gospel, though it was legitimate to do so. Paul’s priority was not money but sharing the gospel. He willingly set aside his right to financial support so that people would not think he was in ministry for the money.

“In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9: 14-15, 18).

Thankfully, Jewish theologians know better than their Christian counterparts. They are well aware that only Levites have the right to receive tithe of the people. After all, the Jewish leaders have the Old Testament as their Scripture and that’s what it commands. And since there is no Temple in existence (and consequently no ordained Levites or Priests serving in a Temple), then a major factor in fulfilling the laws of tithing does not exist in our modern world. http://www.askelm.com/tithing/thi003.htm

SHOULD THE CHURCH TEACH TITHING?Churches showcase success stories but fail to mention the testimonies of those who have tithed for generations without escaping poverty. Today the very lowest income class pays the largest percentage to charity. Yet most remain in poverty. Meanwhile many atheists become wealthy by simply following principles of money management which also makes many tithers successful. Neither the lottery, nor the tithe is a magic get-rich-quick answer to replace education, determination and hard work. If Malachi 3:10 really worked for New Covenant Christians, millions of poor tithing Christians would have escaped poverty and would have become the wealthiest group of people in the world instead of remaining the poorest group.

Friday, 13 November 2015

Someone commented on my blog post—EIGHT KEY TENETS OF HYPER-GRACE DOCTRINE REFUTED—which is found at this link, http://bit.ly/1ibPiTU:

“Though I have some reservations on hyper-grace pastor Prince's messages, I see more flaws in your understanding of Scriptures. Instead of dividing the body of Christ and playinginto the enemy's (satan's) scheme, why not use this blog or Facebook to preach a message of hope to the lost, downtrodden and needy? Our Lord Jesus said that the harvest indeed is plentiful but the labourers are few. Why not answer that urgent call rather than waste time & energy putting down another labourer of the Lord?”

Here is my response:

Firstly, I applaud your concern about fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Yes, we should not waste our time and energy debating on minor issues, which only stir up controversy.

But we need to ask ourselves whether these hyper-grace teachings are merely minor issues that believers can shrug off. I do not think so.

Many Christian leaders are similarly appalled by the teachings of hyper-grace. They are sounding alarm bells. Please see articles by THREE well-respected Christian leaders, John Burton, Dr. Michael Brown and Roger Sapp, at the end of this blog post.

Secondly, while it is important to share the Good News (or salvation message) to pre-believers, it is also important to snatch out from the fire believers who are headed for destruction, whether through willful sinning or deception (Jude 1:23).

While some have the gift of evangelism and bring in a mighty harvest of souls, others conserve the gains made in God’s kingdom through rebuke, correction and warning so that believers do not go astray. Though the latter are not evangelists, they snatch out of the fire wayward believers and thus help to reduce the attrition rate. http://bit.ly/1Y1tqL8

At this juncture, I hope you do get my point that it is useless to start out well and then, along the way in our spiritual walk, we get deceived and fall by the wayside. It must be remembered that only overcomers receive the reward (Matthew 24:9-13, Revelation 3:5). In this respect, believers must be warned of the dangerous deception posed by hyper-grace, which gives a false sense of security to believers. http://bit.ly/1ghthQF

The true gospel tells us there is a price to be paid for following God and the way to heaven is narrow and difficult whereas the false gospel of hyper-grace entices man with benefits and gives us a comforting but false assurance that the way to heaven is going to be easy. http://bit.ly/1OfG6bP

Thirdly, we often assume that Christians are supposed to be kind, good-natured and tolerant in every situation. However, that is not the stance adopted by apostles Paul, Peter and John in relation to false teachings. They made sure they took a strong stand against destructive heresies (2 Timothy 4:1-4; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 4:1).

Does emphasis on evangelism mean that we cannot contend against false teaching? No. http://bit.ly/1NPpH1f

Fourthly, you mentioned aboutthe danger ofplaying into the enemy's scheme. How can we be sure who is playing into satan’s schemes—whether it is you or I—unless we scrutinise the teachings of man against the Word, like the faithful Bereans. Otherwise, we may bedeceivedand led up the garden path to damnation by destructive heresy. http://bit.ly/1KeKVRU

Fifthly, regarding your concern about dividing the body of Christ, what is the point of preserving unity if it is at the expense of TRUTH?http://bit.ly/1lmKwVJ

Sixthly, please substantiate your statement that “I see more flaws in your understanding of the glorious Scriptures”. I am waiting for you to specifically point out the errors in my post, EIGHT KEY TENETS OF HYPER-GRACE DOCTRINE REFUTED—which is found at this link, http://bit.ly/1ibPiTU

Finally, it is my hope that the readers of this blog may prayerfully go through all the links provided and make up your own mind. If you are truthful to yourself, and diligently study the Word, I am sure you will come to the inevitable conclusion that hyper-grace is one of the most dangerous heresies extant in the modern church.

Here is the original comment by the blog reader. It has been edited for clarity and grammar and presented at the top of this blog post in blue.

“Dear Dr. Though I have some reservations on Pastor Prince's messages but I see more flaws in your understanding of the glorious Scriptures! Instead of further dividing the Body of Christ and being played into the enemy's scheme, why not use this blog/Facebook to preach this message of hope to the lost, the downtrodden and the needy? Our Lord Jesus said that harvest indeed is plentiful but the laborers are fill. Why not answer to that urgent call than wasting time & energy putting down on another laborer of the Lord.”

Monday, 9 November 2015

We’re not talking here about film stars and rock stars—those who enjoy the adulation of fans and bask in transient fame and glory.

We’re also not alluding to the stars of the prosperity gospel known for their charisma or the miracle workers who hold many spellbound by their ability to bring about signs and wonders (Matthew 7:21-23).

Rather, we are referring to those who turn many to righteousness. They are deemed as stars in God’s eyes. They will be honoured and rewarded one day when they meet their Creator.

“And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

(Daniel 12:3)

It is implied that there are various degrees of glory in eternity. Apart from the moon’s illumination of the night sky, individual stars twinkle in their own distinctive way.

Indeed, there will be different forms and measures of eternal rewards for believers (1 Corinthians 3: 12-14, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Revelation 22:12).

What does ‘turning others to righteousness’ involve? By convention, it means sharing the Good News or salvation message to pre-believers. But it can also mean snatching out from the fire believers who are headed for destruction, whether through willful sinning or deception (Jude 1:23).

While some have the gift of evangelism and bring in a mighty harvest of souls, others conserve the gains made in God’s kingdom through rebuke, correction and warning so that believers do not go astray. Though the latter are not evangelists, they snatch out of the fire wayward believers and thus help to reduce the attrition rate. It must be remembered that only overcomers receive the reward (Matthew 24:9-13, Revelation 3:5).

After all, the Great Commission is not merely about churning out converts but making disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), who in turn are sufficiently equipped so that they are able to train others to teach others (2 Timothy 2:2).

Continual exposure to pulpit ministry and seminars may lead to a state whereby believers are overfed and underutilised for the kingdom of God. It’s a case of excessive intake leading to “spiritual obesity” and lack of “exercise” in terms of witnessing.

I believe it is a must-watch video for every believer who desires to share the Good News with someone who does not know Christ. It deals with the principles and guidelines we need to observe when witnessing, not about a fixed method.

Though not all of us are called to be evangelists, we are to do the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5). We should always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks us for a reason for the hope that is in us, yet doing it with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).

Have we shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15)?

If we do so consistently, we will become like shining stars one day. Those who win souls are wise.